Pratiche venatorie e dinamiche comportamentali dei gruppi tardoglaciali dell’Italia nord-orientale: analisi tecnologica, economica e funzionale delle armature litiche di Riparo Dalmeri (Altopiano della Marcesina, Trento)

The study of lithic armatures of Riparo Dalmeri was aimed at the reconstruction of hunting equipment and hunting strategies implemented by the epigravettian human groups who attended the northeastern Italy during the Lateglacial. The lithic armatures analyzed, come from the three main stratigraphical levels of the shelter, whose radiocarbon refer to the Lateglacial interstadial and more precisely to the passage between Bölling and Alleröd. And just in correspondence of climatic and environmental changes that define this chronological stage, that there is a gradual and profound alteration of lithic production systems and conceptual schemes to their base. Nevertheless, the techno-functional analysis conducted on lithic armatures revealed a substantial chronological continuity of the morpho-dimensional objectives sought: the simplification of the production system is expressed essentially in the transfer of a large part of technical investment from the production phase of the bladelets to that of transformation in armatures. The analysis of the residues of manufacture and the characteristics of backs allowed us to define the percussion with the stone on anvil as the main retouching technique used, associated with the pressure by antler especially during the first phase of attendance of the shelter. According to the morphological and dimensional variability, the backed points were divided into three main typological classes while for the backed bladelets with double truncations has been noticed a greater research of standardization. The evaluation of diagnostic traces of impact identified on the armatures of each class has allowed us to put forward a first hypothesis on how the armatures were fixed and employed in the various stratigraphical levels. The experimental activity, carried out subsequently to the study of the findings, has largely confirmed this reconstruction, suggesting also new diagnostic elements for the identification of the mode of association of the microliths on the shaft. Unlike the highlighted for the lithic production, the configuration of weapons is consistent in the first two levels of attendance while denotes an evident change in correspondence of the last stage of settlement dated at the end of the Alleröd. Initially, the engagement of the backed points occurred within a recess dug laterally to the shaft so as to expose the entire cutting edge opposite to the back; in direct contact with the piercing element were also inserted two backed bladelets with double truncations, positioned parallel to the shaft so as to form a single cutting edge with the margin of the tip. On the other hand, as regards the last level of attendance, the revision of the functional data after the experimentation, rather opt for a tip insertion within a fork axial, and its association with several baked bladelets with double truncations inserted in groups of two, obliquely to the dynamic axis of the arrow. The attestation of a predominant use of composite weapons, is connected to the search for greater efficiency in terms of ballistic penetration of animal tissues, and corresponding to the evidence found for the epipalaeolithic complexes of Europe. The change in the pattern of hunting projectiles, certificated for the occupation levels of the second part of the Lateglacial interstadial, it seems to be due to the advantage offered by the second type of arrangement in terms of maintainability and durability of the functional life of the weapon. The experimental confirmation of the use of these armatures associated with the bow-arrow system, is connected to the deep changes that are involved in hunting strategies and more generally in the mobility of lateglacial human groups: It seems likely that the search for weapons characterized by a rapid production and an equally quick retooling is linked to practices of hunting less structured in the territory and involving the frequent loss of projectiles. It therefore follows that attending repeated and prolonged of Riparo Dalmeri is closely related to specialized ibex hunting, which represents more than 90% of faunal determinable remains, practiced through the use of the bow and composite projectiles, according unstructured manners and related to the use of a few men or maybe individual hunters

Analysis of web server hosting

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá problematikou hostování webových stránek v České republice. Cílem práce je navrhnout postup a na jeho základě realizovat aplikaci pro automatizované určení, zda je konkrétní web provozován na serveru třetí strany nebo na vlastním serveru organizace či jednotlivce. Práce je rozdělena na tři hlavní části, kde první, teoretická část pojednává o principech, protokolech a službách, které jsou potřebné pro zajištění dostupnosti webových stránek s přihlédnutím na specifika prostředí českého internetu. V další, praktické části, je na základě získaných teoretických znalostí navrženo několik přístupů k analýze získaných dat. Na jejich základě je navržen a formou detekční aplikace implementován algoritmus, jehož cílem je určit, zda jsou předložené vstupní webové stránky umístěné na sdíleném serveru a pro každou z nich shromáždit informace o jejím hostování. V poslední části práce je aplikace spuštěna na vytvořené databázi webových stránek dle kategorií subjektů provozující tyto weby. V této, analytické části, jsou výstupní získané informace o hostování těchto webů zpracovány a prezentovány spolu s uvedením příslušných souvislostí týkajících se hostování webů v České Republice.Master thesis deals with the problematics of webpages hosting in the Czech Republic. The goal of the thesis is to design a procedure and to implement an application for automated determination of whether a particular website is operated on a third party server or an own server of the organization or the individual. The thesis is divided into two main parts. The first part of the thesis lays a theoretical base concerning principals, protocols and services which are necessary for providing availability of the webpages with special attention to the specifics of the Czech internet environment. In the practical part there are several approaches to the analysis of the obtained data proposed. On that basis there is designed and in the form of the detection application implemented an algorithm which goal is to determine whether the submitted webpages are placed on a shared server and to collect the information about their hosting. In the last part of the thesis the application runs based on the created database of webservers organized by the categories of the webserver operators. In this analytic part the obtained output information about these webservers hosting are processed and presented together with the relevant context concerning the hosting of these webpages in the Czech Republic.

Early life of Neanderthals

The early onset of weaning in modern humans has been linked to the high nutritional demand of brain development that is intimately connected with infant physiology and growth rate. In Neanderthals, ontogenetic patterns in early life are still debated, with some studies suggesting an accelerated development and others indicating only subtle differences to modern humans. Here we report the onset of weaning and rates of enamel growth using an unprecedented sample set of three late (~70-50 ka) Neanderthals and one Upper Paleolithic modern human from Northeastern-Italy via spatially-resolved chemical/isotopic analyses and histomorphometry of deciduous teeth. Our results reveal that the modern human nursing strategy, with onset of weaning at 5-6 months, was present among these Neanderthals. This evidence, combined with dental development akin to modern humans, highlights their similar metabolic constraints during early life and excludes late weaning as a factor contributing to Neanderthals' demise

A technological and functional examination of the Aurignacian end-scrapers from Grotta di Fumane

End-scrapers are tools widespread during all the Upper Paleolithic; they are manufactured retouching a blade or a flake extremity and used mainly for working hide, bone or wood. The analyzed tools were recovered at Fumane Cave, located in the Monti Lessini, part of the Veneto Pre-Alps, in the northeast of Italy. The cave presents traces of intense and repeated human occupation. Protoaurignacian living floors are documented in A2 and A1, dating 14C: 35850±310 - 34180±270 BP; evidence of Aurignacian occupation is attested in the upper layers of the macrounit D, dating 14C: 33890±220 BP. In layer A2, dwelling structures are represented by large hearths, dumps of butchered and consumed herbivore carcasses and stone flaking waste. Finds in layers D include bone and antler tools, painted stones, accumulations of ochre and molluscan shells. The studied assemblage consists of 203 end-scrapers. Most of them come from the Protoaurignacian levels, 132 tools; fewer from Ancient Aurignacian ones, 71 tools. Technological, typological and functional analysis were performed on the items. The raw material used is the high quality flint abundant in the Lessini mountains: the main one is Maiolica, followed by Scaglia Variegata and Scaglia Rossa. The tools are manufactured on blanks from the whole laminar débitage especially blade and other regular débitage products but also on shorter flakes. Most of the end-scrapers are made of regular supports with a reduced thickness, slightly convex profile, axial and distal active part mostly characterized by intense resharpening. Typologically long frontal end-scrapers are the most numerous, carinated and nose form (typical of the Ancient Aurignacian) are very less represented. The functional study has been carried out in collaboration with the Traceolab of Liege. Both macro and microscopic traces were considered; tools were analyzed with a stereoscopic microscope (low power approach) and also with a metallographic microscope using bright field illumination (high power approach). Thanks to the good state of preservation of the tools, a large number of usewear traces were detected and compared with the reference collection. Traces are comparable with action of shaving and scraping soft material like hide; the analysis of the edges reveals the presence of hafting arrangement on some scrapers. The presence of ocher on the front of the scrapers could be related to its use during the process of hide working, the one on the edges may be linked to the hafting. The study of lithic assemblage shows a continuity among the levels A and the levels D. The scrapers share the same technological, typological, morphological and functional features Therefore it could be possible to attribute the lithic production of levels D at the Protoaurignacian too, instead of Ancient Aurignacian. Use-wear analysis reveals a high specialization of these tools used almost exclusively in the various stages of hide working. The data supports the argument that these scrapers were not involved in the production of bone and ivory tools founded in Aurignacian layers D. Future studies could highlight which kind of tools were used for producing these objects

Technological continuity and discontinuity in the Romagnano Loc III rock shelter (NE Italy) Mesolithic series

This paper reports results of a technological study carried out on the lithic assemblages of the Mesolithic sequence of Romagnano rock shelter, in the south-eastern Alps, which represents the reference site for the Sauveterrian and Castelnovian of northeastern Italy. Considering the technical differences between the two phases, this work has tried to ascertain aspects of continuity and discontinuity within this series in the aim of investigating the way this transition occurred – abrupt or progressive. The objectives of débitage and the techniques applied, along with the reductions sequences and the methods involved, have been reconstructed. In order to interpret these data, a comparison with other main Castelnovian assemblages of the Italian peninsula has been carried out. Results attained indicate that the major changes occurred at the transition between I and II Mesolithic are closely related to the introduction of new knapping techniques – indirect percussion/pressure. The persistence of some characters derived from the more ancient pragmatic Sauveterrian tradition has also been highlighted. The existence of a real progressive transition seems difficult to be proved considering that Romagnano, as other continuous series available from other rock shelters of the peninsula, could have undergone problems of stratigraphic disturbance

A technological and functional examination of the Aurignacian end-scrapers from Grotta di Fumane.

End-scrapers are tools widespread during all the Upper Paleolithic; they are manufactured retouching a blade or a flake extremity and used mainly for working hide, bone or wood. The analyzed tools were recovered at Fumane Cave, located in the Monti Lessini, part of the Veneto Pre-Alps, in the northeast of Italy. The cave presents traces of intense and repeated human occupation. Protoaurignacian living floors are documented in A2 and A1, dating 14C: 35850±310 - 34180±270 BP; evidence of Aurignacian occupation is attested in the upper layers of the macrounit D, dating 14C: 33890±220 BP. In layer A2, dwelling structures are represented by large hearths, dumps of butchered and consumed herbivore carcasses and stone flaking waste. Finds in layers D include bone and antler tools, painted stones, accumulations of ochre and molluscan shells. The studied assemblage consists of 203 end-scrapers. Most of them come from the Protoaurignacian levels, 132 tools; fewer from Ancient Aurignacian ones, 71 tools. Technological, typological and functional analysis were performed on the items. The raw material used is the high quality flint abundant in the Lessini mountains: the main one is Maiolica, followed by Scaglia Variegata and Scaglia Rossa. The tools are manufactured on blanks from the whole laminar débitage especially blade and other regular débitage products but also on shorter flakes. Most of the end-scrapers are made of regular supports with a reduced thickness, slightly convex profile, axial and distal active part mostly characterized by intense resharpening. Typologically long frontal end-scrapers are the most numerous, carinated and nose form (typical of the Ancient Aurignacian) are very less represented. The functional study has been carried out in collaboration with the Traceolab of Liege. Both macro and microscopic traces were considered; tools were analyzed with a stereoscopic microscope (low power approach) and also with a metallographic microscope using bright field illumination (high power approach). Thanks to the good state of preservation of the tools, a large number of usewear traces were detected and compared with the reference collection. Traces are comparable with action of shaving and scraping soft material like hide; the analysis of the edges reveals the presence of hafting arrangement on some scrapers. The presence of ocher on the front of the scrapers could be related to its use during the process of hide working, the one on the edges may be linked to the hafting. The study of lithic assemblage shows a continuity among the levels A and the levels D. The scrapers share the same technological, typological, morphological and functional features Therefore it could be possible to attribute the lithic production of levels D at the Protoaurignacian too, instead of Ancient Aurignacian. Use-wear analysis reveals a high specialization of these tools used almost exclusively in the various stages of hide working. The data supports the argument that these scrapers were not involved in the production of bone and ivory tools founded in Aurignacian layers D. Future studies could highlight which kind of tools were used for producing these objects

Peuplement tardiglaciaire et holocène ancien des Préalpes de la Vénétie (Italie nord-orientale) : éléments de confrontation

International audienceTardiglacial and early Holocene settlement of the Venetian Prealps (north-eastern Italy): comparative elements. The environmental conditions during Tardiglacial human settlement (19,000-11,500 years cal BP), in the region of the Eastern Italian Alps began with the Wurmian deglaciation, a process that determined the retreat of the icecaps from the cirques in the Piedmont. The earliest Epigravettian occupations of the Tagliente rock shelter represent the first human settlement at the beginning of the Tardiglacial on the Prealpine fringes (17,000 and 16,000 years cal BP). Human recolonization in the Venetian Prealps is accompanied by the expansion of the forest but seems to be limited at first to valley floors and Prealpine plateaus before expanding, during a second phase, to altitudes above 1,000 m. This reference model is based on the link between the altimetric position and economic and functional orientation of the activities and points to a logistic management of the Alpine territory in the ecotone mountain zone-Alpine prairies. The Early Holocene marks the expansion and the intensification of settlement in the region, with the discovery of several dozen sites attributed to the Sauveterrian. This process of anthropic recolonization of the mountain is characterized by the existence of many transformations in Epigravettian and Sauveterrian societies. From a technical viewpoint, the facial operative scheme appears to be an original Epigravettian feature during the first part of the Alleröd. The facial laminar scheme consists in working the volume over a wide and slightly curved surface and maintaining this architecture throughout production, using direct hard hammer percussion. The blades have a rectilinear profile and a robust configuration and are intended for use without retouch or are transformed into backed knives. Micro-wear analysis points to the use of these objects in keeping with the physical properties (robustness and quality of the cutting edge), mainly for butchery activities and/or cutting soft animal matter. During the Early Sauveterrian, lithic production revolves around two main operative themes. The first and main theme is the production of bladelet blanks (bladelets, bladelet-type flakes, flakes) for making armatures (Sauveterre points, geometric arrow heads). The second is much less frequent and consists of blades. As regards the territorial occupation system of Epigravettian human groups, no clear modification has been identified during the Recent Dryas in northeastern Italy. However, we observe that the open-air camps near wetlands appear to be more geographically limited, with an absence of spatial organization and less lithic material. They also comprise frequent spatio-temporal segmentation of lithic production sequences. These elements point to increased mobility in the territory from smaller and ephemeral camps.En marge de l'espace géographique principalement évoqué dans le cadre de cette réunion scientifique, les travaux réalisés depuis plus de 60 ans dans les Préalpes de la Vénétie ont permis de construire un cadre de (re)colonisation de la montagne à la fin du Paléolithique supérieur et au début du Mésolithique. Cette dynamique de repeuplement anthropique est directement liée à l'évolution environnementale des Préalpes d'Italie nord-orientale du Tardiglaciaire au début de l'Holocène. Afin de proposer un parallèle chronologique avec l'évolution des groupes humains du Sud-Ouest français, quelques caractères techniques et comportementaux identifiés au sein des sociétés épigravettiennes récent et sauveterriennes sont présentés dans cet article. Mots-clés

Identification of Late Epigravettian hunting injuries: Descriptive and 3D analysis of experimental projectile impact marks on bone.

The search for diagnostic criteria useful in hunting lesions identification is a new branch of investigation. Though recently there has been an increase in studies focused on this issue, no experimental works exist that analyze marks left by backed, morphologically standardized lithic projectiles like those used by the hunter-gatherers that peopled a large part of Europe during the Late Glacial. As such, this paper aims to provide comparison data for identifying archaeological Late Epigravettian projectile impact marks. At the same time, the potential of 3D scanning microscopy to distinguish hunting injuries from other taphonomic marks is assessed. The morphometric analyses, based on the descriptive criteria developed from other recent studies, highlight the presence of peculiar features of experimentally produced drag and puncture marks. These data are interpreted as a result of the specific design of Late Epigravettian lithic projectiles. The outcomes of 3D digital analysis confirm the crucial role of this methodological approach in taphonomic study, offering new clues in PIMs (Projectile Impact Marks) archaeological identification and distinction from cut marks, carnivore tooth marks and corrosion cavities